# Sketchbook® vs Head Model Studio

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sketchbook® at 220K against Head Model Studio's 2.4K. Sketchbook® also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and chart position (#41 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketchbook® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Head Model Studio sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sketchbook® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchbook® has 220K ratings behind it against 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 77% positive.

Sketchbook® ships an update every 6 weeks, Head Model Studio monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketchbook® | Head Model Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/head-model-studio-art-study/id1527028690/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **220K** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews | **76.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 2.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | **14** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sketchbook, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569383806) | [Wes Castain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527028692) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketchbook®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a professional-grade drawing and painting experience for artists and illustrators. It offers a natural drawing feel with customizable tools, layers, and guides for precision. Unlock advanced features like custom brushes and canvas resizing with an optional premium purchase.

**Highlights:** Full complement of brush types, Highly customizable brushes, Guides, rulers, and stroke tools, Layers with blend modes, Clean and unobtrusive interface, Custom brush creation (premium), Canvas resizing (premium)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing, free, and no ads
- 👍 Lots of brushes and customization options
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Great for beginners and professionals
- 👍 Smooth performance and no lag

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Blurry or corrupted images when saving or copying
- 🐛 Glitches with color selection and layers
- 🐛 Inability to rotate canvas or access gallery easily
- 🐛 Lack of blurring and clipping mask tools

**Reported bugs**

- Layers randomly deleted or corrupted
- Freezing when using certain tools like the eyedropper
- Saving issues leading to loss of progress
- Incompatibility with newer iPad Pro devices

**Requested features**

- Add blurring and clipping mask tools
- Improve gallery and canvas rotation functionality
- Allow custom font import
- Add effects like glow, stroke, and drop shadow
- Implement layer grouping and organization


### Head Model Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/head-model-studio-art-study/id1527028690)

This app provides 3D reference models for artists to study and draw faces. It offers detailed control over lighting and rendering to help users understand facial planes and tones, aiding in portrait drawing practice.

**Highlights:** 25 detailed 3D head models, Full 3D model control (zoom, tilt, rotate), Realistic environmental and studio lighting, Customizable rendering with edge outlines, Pre-made practice scenes, Study facial planes and geometry

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Access | $9.00 | per month |
| 1 Year Access | $16.00 | per year |
| 1 Year Access | $23.00 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $50.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent reference tool for artists
- 🔍 Helpful for understanding head anatomy and planes
- 🔧 Customizable lighting and model features
- 💰 Reasonable subscription pricing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Lack of free trial to test premium content
- 🔧 Limited customization options for free users
- 🐛 Occasional technical issues with lighting and model adjustments

**Reported bugs**

- Sudden loss of model functionality after updates
- Overheating issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- Add female Loomis head models
- Expand customization options for paid users
- Implement full-body reference models
- Provide option for one-time lifetime purchase


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketchbook® free?

Sketchbook® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Head Model Studio free?

Head Model Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sketchbook® or Head Model Studio?

Sketchbook® is rated higher. Sketchbook® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 220K ratings, while Head Model Studio averages 4.6 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Sketchbook® or Head Model Studio have ads?

Neither Sketchbook® nor Head Model Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sketchbook® or Head Model Studio?

Sketchbook® ships an update every 6 weeks, and Head Model Studio monthly. Most recently, Sketchbook® was updated on September 25, 2026 and Head Model Studio on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*